The book is set in New York City in the ’1920s. A writer’s note mentions the real phenomenon of a Carnegie Hall’s circus, which is the backdrop for the story and adds a fantastic and enchanting setting. Then the story winds around the streets of ’1920s New York City in all its gilt-edged glory, when Vita and her ragtag group of friends plan a heist to steal her grandfather’s precious emerald necklace, which is the key to hiring a lawyer and fighting for the castle of her grandfather, put together piece by piece from the Hudson Valley, and snatched by a conniving real estate developer with ties to the mob.

Vita is
brave and cunning with her love for her grandfather as well as her hatred for
evil men such as Sorrotore, who takes advantage of the less fortunate for their
greedy personal gain. She is the “just-in-case,” because of her ability to
throw with expert precision, a skill that her grandfather taught her as she was
bedridden with polio as a child, a sickness which claimed the full use of one
of her feet.

The circus
boys, Sam and Arkady, are both virtuosos. Arkady has an uncanny way with
animals. He can train the birds of New York and horses and dogs that he just
met while Sam can fly. Their acrobatic skills are unbelievable and will help
the group get over the high walls of the castle.

The team is rounded out by Silk, an unwilling thief, who wants to live a normal life. She was an orphan and lived off the streets, pickpocketing into glamorous parties like the ones Sorrotore throws, a servant, when Vita met her. She turns Vita down, preferring to work alone and avoid getting caught with a team of unknown kids. However, her lock-pick skill is unparalleled so eventually, she joins the team.